As wireless devices proliferate, including smartphones and tablet computers, marketers are facing increasing competition for the attention of consumers. For example, the television industry has recently started using mobile phones to drive live television viewing through mobile phones. In 2012, 86% of Americans use their mobile phone while watching television. As a result, marketers have increased the amount spent on online advertising attempting to reach mobile phone users through advertising. From 2011 to 2012, marketers have increased online advertising spending by 21.7% compared to an increase in spending of only 4.5% for television advertising. However, difficulties in reaching a target consumer base remain prevalent because mobile phone users are not constantly browsing online.
With the increase in technological sophistication of wireless devices over time, marketers have attempted to find a solution in the prior art to target consumers using wireless devices with limited success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,321,773 to Hines, et al. discloses an area watcher wireless feature with a database of geographic areas triggering the wireless area watcher to display a message upon particular wireless device's entry into or exit from a watched area. A watched area is defined by a postal code, principality, state or country, or by a particular cell site area. The area watcher wireless feature is implemented into a wireless service provider's network to watch the wireless device. However, the system in Hines relies on the infrastructure of a wireless network service provider to implement the watcher feature and to define the watched areas leading to an expensive system that cannot be customized.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,995,996 to Link, et al. discloses providing target advertisements over wireless network from local advertisers pre-registered to advertise. Local advertisers register to advertise on wireless devices that are in close proximity to the advertiser. As a consumer enters a cell site that is near the location of the local advertiser, the wireless network delivers a message to the wireless device of the consumer that is specified by the local advertiser. However, the system in Link relies on the location and the range of cellular towers leading to an inaccurate location of the wireless device. Further, such reliance on the range of the cellular towers results in fixed areas within which the consumer must be and cannot be customized to suit the local advertiser.
WIPO Patent Publication No. 2010/078616 to Wood, et al. discloses a mobile device managing arrangement for service and product information by a wireless fidelity network through hand-held devices interacting with a precinct database. In Wood, the precinct database stores vendors, products, services, and information for each precinct. A precinct is a predefined region in which a customer with the mobile device can access information about the vendors, products, services within the precinct. The precinct is equipped with proximity short range wireless equipment, in the form of a pad or a gate. In order to access the information from the precinct database, the customer must place the mobile device within the range of the proximity pad or gate to access the information. However, the system in Wood relies on the wireless fidelity network and a cellular network to locate the mobile device leading to an inaccurate location because the range of the wireless fidelity network and the range of the cellular network cannot conform to the shape of the building in which the customer is desired to be located and cannot be customized. Further, the wireless fidelity network for the determination of the location can be compromised through the use of a wireless fidelity network repeater to extend the reach of the network to unauthorized areas.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a prior art example of a “proximity system” is shown. The prior art proximity systems have several limitations. Building 150 has perimeter 151. Wi-Fi router 152 is mounted in building 150 and has range 153. One limitation is that coverage of range 153 is indistinct and varies around perimeter 158. Further, some areas are exclusion. For example, areas 156 and 157 are not covered by range 153 of Wi-Fi router 152. Further, undesired reception of the Wi-Fi signal occurs. For example, Wi-Fi repeater 154 broadcasts repeater range 155. This is a problem because wireless device 159 is able to access range 153 of Wi-Fi router 152 through Wi-Fi repeater 154 hence providing coverage beyond what is intended. Further, range 153 cannot be precisely determined due to the “fuzziness” of range 153, thereby allowing an unintended user of wireless device 159 to access range 153 of Wi-Fi router 152 by being in close proximity to range perimeter 158.
The prior art fails to disclose or suggest a system and method for creating customizable virtual geographic zones to enable administrators to accurately interact with users. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a system and method for creating accurate virtual geographic zones that cannot be compromised to allow an administrator to inexpensively and accurately interact with users.